Perfectly Free
by kate04us
Summary: Set a few weeks after Andy's accident. He moved back home once he recovered, but it is not as it used to be. In which Sharon and Andy have a little misunderstanding and come to a decision.
1. Chapter 1

**Perfectly Free**

 **Chapter 1**

by Kate04

* * *

 **A/N:** This one was supposed to be nothing but a little fluffy Shandy feels, but then I talked to the ladies (you know who you are) and suddenly there was angst. It's still pretty fluffy, I think.

A big hug and "thank you" goes to **Rockin Robin B** who once again did a wonderful beta job. And of course the ladies get a hug for being awesome cheerleaders and sounding boards.

 **Disclaimer:** Not my sandbox, not my toys. I'll return them unharmed.

* * *

 _Dance, when you're broken open._

 _Dance, if you've torn the bandage off._

 _Dance in the middle of the fighting._

 _Dance in your blood._

 _Dance when you're perfectly free._

― _Rumi_

* * *

Andy Flynn was exhausted. It had been an incredibly long week. He had only started working again on Monday after having spent much longer than he had cared for on medical leave. He was definitely getting too old for any kind of heroism. For a while the thought of retiring had not sounded so bad, as recovering from his injuries had been tougher than ever.

It had been Sharon who had helped him through the worst. She had insisted on taking him home with her, not taking no for an answer. It had sounded like a suggestion, but he had found out quickly that he had not really had any choice in the matter. She and his doctor had ganged up on him, convincing him that he could not stay alone.

Once the initial awkwardness had passed, Andy could not remember why he had fought so hard against those new living arrangements. That first evening had been a little uncomfortable, as he had not known what she expected of him. While they had taken that step from old-fashioned dating to intimacy quite some time ago, they had not spent a night together. So far, all of their intimate encounters had happened at his place, mostly out of respect for Rusty. Afterwards, she had always gone home.

When she had taken him home from the hospital, his first instinct had been to make himself comfortable on her couch. His aching bones had practically screamed at the thought, but he would not have complained. Instead, she had lead him straight into her bedroom, telling him not to be ridiculous when he had suggested that the couch would be fine. He had not wanted to make the kid uncomfortable. He had only just begun to accept their relationship and Andy had not wanted to jeopardize that progress. At first, Rusty had grumbled a bit, but he had gotten used to the new situation quickly, accepting Andy's presence and realizing that it did not mean Sharon ignored him.

The weeks Andy had spent at Sharon's place had been wonderful. It had surprised them both how well they had gotten along. Having spent many years without a partner, neither one of them had expected to adapt to that level of intimacy so quickly. In fact, now that he was back in his own place, Andy missed her terribly. He even missed the kid. His house was too big and too quiet, his evenings too lonely without Sharon curled up against him on the couch and Rusty telling them about school or his latest project.

Once he had been declared fit for duty, they had decided that it was time for him to go back home. Or maybe they had not really decided anything. Thinking back on it, they had never actually talked about it. He had assumed that she expected him to leave and she had not objected when he had packed his bags. He had not really thought about that until earlier, at a meeting, when he had talked to a buddy about how much he missed having Sharon close and his buddy had asked why he had left in the first place. Andy had not been able to explain it and it had made him think.

They had not spent any time together all week. Whenever he had wanted to ask her out for dinner or invite her over to his place, she had found a reason to leave before he could speak. The first two times, he had thought nothing of it. When it had kept happening, however, he had begun to suspect that she was avoiding him. Maybe he had overstayed his welcome at her place and she was trying to put some distance between them. For several weeks, his presence in her life had pretty much kept her from doing anything but work and care for him. Of course she would feel the need to spend some time without him.

His self-doubt told him something else, though. It was possible that spending so much time with him might have shown her the he was not the right man for her. He had accepted long ago that he was not good enough for her, and he had been waiting for her to realize that, too, to come to her senses and send him away. He was an addict, just like her ex-husband. He had lied to his family, he had disappointed them, and he had not been there for them – just like Jack. Andy had no idea how often she had been forced to take care of her husband because he had been unable to do so on his own. Having to do that for her new partner might have brought back bad memories, showing her how similar the two men were.

He had stayed too long. He had taken advantage of her generosity. Or maybe he had not. Maybe she had wanted him there. Maybe she had wanted him to stay. At least that was what his buddy had said. Andy had a hard time believing that. Why would she want to keep him around when he had been nothing but work for her for weeks? She had gotten nothing out of having him around. He had been grumpy, and in pain, and unable to do much of anything around the house. It had made him feel like a freeloader. There was nothing lovable about that. For a little while he had thought that getting injured on the job was the best thing that could have happened to him as it had brought them so much closer, but now he knew that it had ruined his future with Sharon. She had seen him at his worst and their relationship had not been strong enough for that.

At first his conversation with his AA buddy had offered hope, but quickly his thoughts came full circle once again, arriving where they had started, with the conviction that Sharon was getting ready to end their relationship.

Resigned to another lonely evening spent with the uninspiring television program, Andy pulled into his driveway. At the sight of the familiar silver sedan parked right in front of him, his stomach started fluttering in excitement – until he remembered that she had been avoiding him. Her presence at his place could only mean one thing, and that was definitely no reason to be excited.

* * *

 **~TBC~**


	2. Chapter 2

**Perfectly Free**

 **Chapter 2**

by Kate04

* * *

Sharon had come home early for once as they had closed their case and finished their paperwork shortly after lunch. Chief Taylor had told them to call it a day and, if possible, take a long weekend. He had been going on about their overtime again and for once she was inclined to take him up on his offer of having Robbery-Homicide cover the next few days for them, unless their presence was absolutely necessary. Three days of peace and quiet sounded like heaven to her at this point. The last few weeks had been hard on her nerves with Andy's injury and his subsequent struggle to recover. When she had gotten the call a few weeks ago, her heart had stopped and she had not been able to breathe freely until she had seen him with his eyes open, grumbling at something Provenza had said to him.

She had spent two nights in an uncomfortable chair in his hospital room, unwilling to leave his side unless work had forced her to. Taking him home with her had been done as much to keep an eye on him as for her own peace of mind. She had not been able to imagine how she would get any sleep, knowing that he was alone in his house halfway across the city.

Sharon had not expected to enjoy having him with her so much. The last time she had let Jack sleep in her bed had been almost a decade ago, and back then she had had a hard time getting any rest with another person next to her. With Andy it had been different. His presence had been reassuring, his warmth comforting and oddly familiar. He had simply blended into her home as if he had always been there. Their evenings together had been exactly what she had always wanted and seldom got; cuddling in front of the television, endless conversations, listening to Rusty talk about his day or simply holding each other, enjoying each other's company.

Rusty's relatively easy acceptance of Andy's presence had surprised her, and she had been so proud when he had just rolled his eyes and told her that she could not very well leave the guy to fend for himself, considering that he could barely lift his coffee cup in the morning. That had been all her boy had had to say about it, even though he had been a little awkward and cautious at first. Once he had realized that very little had changed for him, he had relaxed, including Andy into their interactions as if it was nothing special, as if it did not mean the world to her.

A long time ago, Sharon had come to terms with the fact that she might never find someone she would consider spending the rest of her life with, not after she had given up hope on her marriage. She had dated occasionally, and some of those relationships had lasted a little longer. The idea of living with someone, of considering a future with them, had never entered her mind.

Even when she had realized that she felt more than friendship for Andy, she had not thought that far ahead. That was why she had been so cautious, so reluctant to move forward even after they had started dating officially. She had known pretty quickly that she cared deeply for him, but at what point caring had turned into more, she could not remember. They had put one step in front of the other, carefully exploring their relationship, mindful of all the potential pitfalls on the way, until she had been comfortable enough to let go of "old-fashioned".

The realization that she had fallen in love with him had come the moment he had opened his eyes in his hospital bed and the solid knot of dread in the pit of her stomach had come loose. She had wanted to tell him, but the time had never seemed right, and as they had spent their evenings and nights and weekends together, it had not seemed important. Instead of saying the words, she had shown him how much he meant to her. As she had cared for him, ignoring his foul mood when the pain had been too much, or his frustration at not being able to do something too hard to contain, as they had gotten to know each other better than she had thought possible, Sharon had begun to understand that the idea of forever did not sound so farfetched at all.

When his doctor had declared him fit for limited duty on Friday morning, she had not expected to come home later that day to find Andy busy packing his things. The rational part of her had known that it would happen at some point, but her heart had ached at the thought of seeing him leave. Too many times had she seen the man she loved pack his bag and walk out of the door, leaving her alone and hurting.

Maybe she should have said something. She could have let him know that she would have liked him to stay. Talking had been impossible at the time, however. She had been choked up, painful, old memories paralyzing her. The tears had come once he had been gone. She had not cried long, however, feeling stupid for acting like a pathetic teenager. Instead, she had cleaned the condo, getting more and more agitated by the minute. Rusty had come home, taken one look at her and fled to his room. She had been irritable ever since that night, the smallest things setting her off and it took a great deal of effort for her to not let her state of mind show. Punishing other people for her own moods was not her style, even if it was hard sometimes.

It had been even harder with Andy. He had been all smiles and had attempted several times to ask her out, but she had not felt like it. Even if he had not meant to, he had hurt her and she had not been ready to talk about it. She felt silly for wanting something that was obviously not meant for her and she did not want to admit it to him or anyone else.

What she had not counted on was her son being fed up with her mood. When he came home and found her aggressively scrubbing the kitchen cabinets, he dropped his backpack on one of the barstools and marched up to where she stood on a chair. Reaching up, he tugged on her arm until he could reach the sponge with his other hand and took it away from her. Rusty simply stared at her for a moment, his arms folded across his chest and a brow raised as she tried to intimidate him with a dark glare. Then he turned away and busied himself with preparing two cups of tea, making sure the sponge was out of her reach.

With no other alternative, Sharon climbed off the chair, intending to get back what had been taken from her and resume her therapeutic activity. He sensed her approach, however, and blocked her way, turning around to face her.

"Sharon, could you stop cleaning the perfectly clean kitchen cabinets for a moment? There's something I'd like to talk to you about."

She might have objected to his snarky comment about her unnecessary scrubbing if it had not been for the tone of his voice. Something was troubling her boy and he wanted her help with it. Instantly shedding her annoyance, she placed a gentle hand on his upper arm, giving him a kind smile.

"Of course. Let's sit down."

Rusty finished preparing the tea and carried both mugs to the couch, placing them on the coffee table before he sat down next to her, turning slightly so he faced her.

"What is it, Rusty?" she asked, her voice heavy with concern.

She watched him as he clasped his mug between both hands, staring at the dark liquid, carefully blowing at the steam that rose from it. It was obvious that he was trying to figure out how to start and she let him, taking a sip of her own tea.

"Are you and Andy okay? You haven't spent any time together since he moved back to his own place last week. Did something happen?"

Closing her eyes, Sharon sighed. She should have known that he would notice something. Rusty was far too perceptive for his own good; it was only logical that he would pick up on her mood and figure out the reason for it.

"Rusty, there's nothing for you to worry about. We see each other at work every day. We're fine." She cringed inwardly at the way she sounded, knowing he would never believe her and, judging from the way he rolled his eyes at her, he did not.

"Yeah sure. Is that why you've been in such a cheerful mood lately? And working together is not really the same as spending time together, is it? You guys practically lived together for almost four weeks and suddenly you don't see each other anymore. I thought you liked having him here."

He sounded honestly confused and she could not blame him when she had problems understanding the state of their relationship herself.

"Yes, I liked having him here. In fact, I had started thinking that it might be nice to turn that into a more permanent situation, but Andy decided to leave."

Saying the words out loud hurt even more than thinking them and she had a hard time keeping the tears at bay. She tried to sound as if it did not bother her, but she could not fool him.

"Did you ask him to stay?" He looked at her as if he already knew what she would say and maybe he did as he was ready to interrupt her answer before she could even articulate it properly.

"Rusty –"

"I get it, okay? You've been there before and it never worked out for you. But he's not Jack, you know?"

When had her boy grown up? When had he become so insightful? He had gotten straight to the core of the problem. It was all about her past, about the issues Jack had left her with, and she knew that it was not fair to punish Andy for that. However, letting go of those issues was a lot harder than it sounded.

"I know he's not Jack. It's not that simple. Andy was the one who left. I didn't ask him to go." That was what it came down to. He had left and it simply would not stop hurting.

"How was he supposed to know that you wanted him to stay? Maybe he was waiting for you to ask. Have you thought about that?"

Sharon stared at him for a long moment, her thoughts circling around that night when she had watched Andy pack his bags. She tried to remember anything she might have missed at that time, any hint that he might have given her, but she came up empty. It was quite possible that she had not paid attention to any of that. All she could recall was the endless chant of _he's leaving_ repeating over and over inside her head. It had drowned out any other thought.

She knew that Rusty was probably right, that she had treated Andy unfairly and subsequently put both of them through a lot of unnecessary pain. It was difficult to overcome decades of heartache, however, to put herself out there once again and risk getting her heart shattered one more time.

"You should go to him and talk. What's the worst thing that can happen? He tells you that he doesn't want to be with you anymore? How's that different from what you've got right now? The way I see it you have nothing to lose by trying."

She wanted to hug him. As he so often did, Rusty had not been afraid to say things as they were, opening her eyes to something she had been too scared to see. She needed to talk to Andy. It was something they had promised each other. Both of them had experienced what happened to relationships once one stopped talking to one another and they had vowed not to repeat that mistake. Instead of doing as she had promised, Sharon had tucked tail and run away at the first sign of trouble.

Finishing off the rest of her tea, Sharon gave in to her impulse and drew her son into a tight hug.

"You're absolutely right, Rusty. I've been a coward and I am sorry that you had to put up with my bad mood."

She released him and, grabbing both their mugs, she stood up and carried the dirty dishes into the kitchen, picking up her cell phone, keys and purse on her way back. Letting her hand rest on his shoulder, she returned his relieved smile.

"I'm not sure when I'll be back. Will you be all right?"

Sighing in exasperation, Rusty raised an eyebrow at her. "Seriously, Sharon? How old do you think I am? Don't worry about me, okay? You go and fix things with Flynn. You guys can stop for breakfast on the way over tomorrow. I'd love some of those blueberry waffles."

She could not help but laugh at his mischievous grin, ruffling his hair before she stepped back, ready to leave.

"Good night, Rusty. Don't stay up all night."

Ignoring his mumbled reply, Sharon walked out of the door, feeling happier than she had all week. She was determined to try and mend the rift that had appeared between them, even if it meant setting herself up to get hurt once more.

* * *

 **~TBC~**


	3. Chapter 3

**Perfectly Free**

 **Chapter 3**

by Kate04

* * *

Andy did not know that she still had the spare key Provenza had given her after his accident. The old man had decided that since she was taking care of her boyfriend anyway, she could just as well fetch his mail and water his plants for him, too. Apparently, she had not returned it yet. If that meant coming home to a sight like the one in front of him in that moment, he could find absolutely nothing wrong with that.

The first thing he noticed when he entered his house was the enticing scent of sautéed onions and garlic. If he had to guess, Andy would say that she was making her special, extremely delicious pasta sauce. His stomach rumbled appreciatively, reminding him that he had not gotten around to having lunch earlier.

The next thing he noticed was that Sharon had apparently found an old CD he had almost forgotten about. The hypnotizing rhythm of a seductive tango floated through the air and put a smile on his face. It reminded him of Nicole's wedding and how he still regretted that it had taken him most of the night to come up with the courage to ask Sharon to dance. Once they had hit the dance floor, he had not wanted to let her go again. They both enjoyed dancing and had fit well together, moving in perfect harmony. It had been more fun than he had ever dreamed of, being so close to her and exploring what they could do together. They had vowed that they would do it again, but so far they had not gotten around to it. Life kept happening and it did not present many opportunities for him to take her out like that. Maybe he could have tried harder.

When he wandered into the kitchen, drawn by the seductive smell and the soft sounds of food preparation, his breath caught in his throat and the sight that met him. She had definitely made herself comfortable after she came over. The turquoise button down she wore was familiar. He had discarded it the night before on his way to the shower and left it hanging over the back of a chair in his bedroom. It definitely looked better on her than it did on him, especially with the way it only came down to mid-thigh, leaving her bare legs for him to admire.

She swayed to the music as she stirred the sauce, a slight tilting of her head the only indication that she was aware of his presence. Andy stood in the doorway for a moment, enjoying how very at home she seemed, how comfortably she moved around in his kitchen. Several ideas occurred to him at once. His stomach demanded a thorough examination of the delicious content of the pots on the stove, but this urge was overruled quickly by more enticing possibilities.

Pushing away from the doorframe, he quietly walked up behind her, his hands landing on her thighs, slowly sliding upwards over her sides, pushing the shirt up along the way. When his lips brushed against the back of her neck, left exposed by the way she had put her hair up in a messy bun, he felt her shiver and lean back against him. She hummed happily as his arms closed around her, hands resting on her stomach. She threaded her fingers through his underneath her shirt and let her head fall against his chest, turning her face into his neck.

They stood like that for a while, gently moving back and forth with the music, soaking in the warmth and comfort of their closeness. When one song ended and a new, slower one began, Andy turned her around to face him, placing one hand against the small of her back and letting the other guide one of hers to rest over his heart. He backed them away from the counter, pulling her close until she laid her head against his shoulder.

Sharon fell into step with him without hesitation, letting him lead her around the small kitchen. She had hoped for a chance to dance with him again ever since Nicole's wedding and the surprising discovery that Andy was in fact a very proficient dancer. Doing so in his kitchen, wearing nothing more than one of his shirts, had not exactly been the scenario she had imagined, but it was perfect. She knew that they would have to talk, but she took a moment to simply enjoy being with him.

When she finally did speak, her voice was quiet and soft, conveying how comfortable she felt in his arms.

"I missed you these last few days."

His arms tightened slightly around her, and he turned his face into her hair, his lips brushing against her as he rasped his response into her thick locks.

"I missed you, too. It was a hell of a long week."

She had known that they would be all right the moment she had felt him come up behind her earlier, but hearing him say those words lifted the heavy weight of doubt and fear off her shoulders for good. However, there were still things he needed to hear from her, things she had a hard time putting into words. It had been too many years since she had last opened her heart to another. It had been broken so many times in the past, making it harder and harder to give it away again. With every bruise, every tear, every piece Jack had torn out of it, it took more effort for her to open up, to let herself feel deeply, to let go of her iron control and give someone else the power to destroy her like she had been destroyed so often before.

Despite her efforts to keep her distance, Andy had wormed his way into her heart over the years. There had always been a certain attraction, but it had been hidden behind snarky comments and professional antagonism. And then they had been forced to work together, for once being on the same side. Circumstances had required them to trust one another until trust had become unquestioning. It had opened their eyes to the incredible chemistry they had, the effortless way they worked together. After a while, that had turned into a reluctant friendship. She could not pinpoint the exact moment her feelings towards him had shifted once again, making her think of him as more than just her goofy, thoughtful, reliable, and infuriating friend.

It took several attempts for her to tell him what was in her heart and she chose to do so in small, careful steps, her voice not much more than a whisper against his pulse point.

"It was nice having you around these last few weeks."

He grunted quietly, planting a kiss against the top of her head. The hand that held hers against his chest tightened its grip slightly in acknowledgement, but he did not say anything. Instead, Sharon took the next step, like hopping from one stone to the other in order to cross a creek.

"The bed felt awfully big without you in it and your pillow doesn't smell like you anymore."

This time, she felt his lips stretch into a grin and she had to smile as well. It might sound a little silly, but she really had not slept very well since Andy had moved out again. Even though she had slept alone for most of her life, it had been easy to get used to his presence, and now that it was gone she missed it. She missed the sound of his soft snoring, the solid warmth of his body behind her, and the reassuring weight of his arm draped over her. She missed not being alone.

The next jump was bigger and she took a deep breath to steady her nerves before she moved on.

"Why did you leave?"

It was the one question she had never dared to ask Jack, and that would always be part of the guilt she carried. Maybe it would have made a difference. She would not let her fear of rejection destroy another relationship, however. Her chest burned with the need for oxygen, but breathing was impossible as she waited for his response.

He sighed, sounding sad and resigned as he pushed her away from him far enough so that he could look into her eyes, his own almost black with hurt and uncertainty.

"I thought you wanted me to go. How was I supposed to know? You let me leave."

Brushing her fingers against his cheek, taking pleasure in the slight roughness of his faint five o'clock shadow, she tried to calm his rising temper. She stared into his eyes, hoping he would understand.

"I had no right to ask you to stay, Andy," she whispered. When he merely frowned in response, she closed her eyes briefly, seeking courage.

"I have asked that question many times over the years. It has never ended well for me, so maybe I was afraid that you would leave anyway."

Andy took her face between his hands and stared down at her, making her feel as if he were trying to look into her heart. Maybe he was.

"I get it. The thing is, you were the one who wanted to take this relationship slowly. I understand why and I'm fine with it. I told you I'd wait and I meant it, but you can't ask me to be respectful of your wishes and then expect me to be the one to bring _that_ up. That's not fair, Sharon. It's a big step and it has to come from you."

She knew that he was right. She had asked him to give her time. Wanting him to take the next step was not fair. Not without at least a clear signal from her that it would be welcome.

"I never expected to have this again, to feel comfortable with the idea of sharing my life with someone. But I do, Andy. Very much so, and it frightens me."

It was true; Sharon was terrified of the vulnerability that came with the depth of her feelings for him, but at the same time she had never felt safer than she did at that moment, in the circle of his arms, as they danced away their doubt and fear. He pulled her closer again, and she let her head fall against his chest once more, the deep rumble of his quiet voice moving through her as he spoke.

"I know. I'm scared, too. Mostly that I'll screw this up somehow. My last serious relationship was decades ago, and it didn't exactly work out so well. Amanda still only speaks to me when she absolutely has to. So yeah, I'm scared, but maybe we shouldn't let our messed up marriages kill this thing between us, 'cause I kinda like it, you know? I'd like to see what we can be together."

She hummed quietly, contentedly, her eyes closed, and her attention focused on his body moving against hers, strong muscles slightly softened with age. _Together_ was a seductive word, a concept that felt strange and at the same time oddly familiar. _Together_ , they had done many things over the years, moving from adversaries to colleagues to friends to lovers – always better _together_. Whatever the future held for them, they would face it – _together_.

"I'd like that, too. It isn't going to be easy, though," she warned, her free hand gliding up and down his back, soothing, reassuring.

Andy chuckled as he buried his nose in her thick curls. "No, I guess not. All we can do is take it slow, one day at a time, and see where that leads us."

Thinking about that for a moment, Sharon shook her head. "Don't you think we have spent long enough on taking it slowly? I know that combining two households is not an easy task. It is going to take a lot of thought and planning, but that doesn't mean that we can't fully enjoy what we have in the meantime. I am tired of putting everyone else first. We have walked on eggshells ever since this started, trying not to step on anyone's toes, making sure we don't offend anyone. It is time that we stopped that." She paused for a moment, shaking her head once again.

"No, let me rephrase that. It is time that _I_ stopped that. You deserve better than that, and I am sorry that I made you doubt how much I want you in my life."

Looking up at him, she held his gaze with her own, making sure he knew how serious she was about what she had just said. The skin around his eyes crinkled as he smiled, his brown orbs sparkling with happiness. The hand that was resting at the small of her back pulled her bottom half closer as he spun them around in a series of quick steps in time with the music. Then he stopped.

Andy's expression sobered as he stared down at her, but there was still a hint of mischief behind the serious front.

"So what you're saying is that you want us to move in together?" He sounded hopeful, but it was the trace of doubt she heard underneath that, which made her heart clench with regret. Slipping both hands behind his head, she pulled him down until their lips almost touched. As she lost focus on his face, she let her eyes fall shut and brushed a brief, soft kiss against the corner of his mouth, her breath feathering against his skin when she spoke.

"Yes, I want us to move in together."

The last thing she was aware of before their lips met was the bright smile that transformed his face. Then everything stopped mattering. Their world narrowed down to the feeling of lips, and tongues, and teeth, to wandering hands, and the flames of desire burning in their cores. Her heart was racing and her hands were tingling with the need to feel his skin. She could not breathe, struggling against the burning in her lungs, unwilling to let go.

Their lungs won in the end, and they pulled out of the kiss, their lips still close. Sharon refused to open her eyes, clinging to the heated moment that was slipping away with every breath they took.

"I want you to come home, Andy," she whispered, her voice husky with desire. A very small part of her still feared rejection as she said the words, and she felt relief flood through her when his lips stretched into a grin against hers.

"You mean right now, or do we have a little time to do some catching up? I _am_ feeling a lot better, you know?"

Laughter bubbled up from deep inside her. It shook her entire body, a much needed release of all the tension that had built up over the last weeks. Once she had herself under control again, she peered up at him through her lashes, giving the appearance of thinking about his question. Tilting her head to the side, she pursed her lips and hummed before she answered.

"Well, Rusty did say something about us bringing breakfast on the way back, so I suppose there is a little time." She barely finished speaking before his mouth covered hers again, effectively muting her and making her forget anything she might have added.

Sharon was dimly aware of being moved towards the kitchen door, their bodies swaying to the music. When they bumped into a chair halfway across the room, he drew back a little, both hands holding on to her hips as he looked down at her.

"How about we relocate to the bedroom before one of us ends up breaking a hip or something." A snort escaped her as she remembered Rusty's words from about a month ago. He had caught them kissing in her kitchen and, according to his own words, had been scarred for life by the experience. He had told them that people their age were not supposed to do anything like that, especially not in unsafe locations. Back then, she had blushed a deep shade of red, too embarrassed to meet his eyes for almost two days. Now, she saw the humour in it. Maybe it helped that her son was finally able to be in the same room with them without shuddering at the memory.

The thought of sinking into soft sheets together, of getting rid of the hindering layers of fabric that separated them, of experiencing what his injuries had prevented for entirely too long, was tempting, but she loved the music. She loved dancing with him and she was reluctant to stop.

"Can I have one more dance?" she rasped against his ear before she gently nipped at his earlobe. A low growl was her answer as he pulled her against him, clasping her right hand in his left and leading her away from the table and the treacherous chairs. "They're all yours. Every single dance I have left," he promised.

They started out following the rhythm of the seductive cha-cha-cha, gliding around the room, spinning and turning. Then he guided her into a low dip, following with his eyes as her breasts strained against the shirt. When he pulled her up again, his lips waited for hers, devouring her hungrily as he moved them again, his hips grinding against hers. The precision of their steps deteriorated quickly as their desire increased, creating a dance all their own. They forgot about steps, they forgot about the kitchen around them. They forgot about their dinner, which was still simmering on the stove, and about their misunderstanding. They forgot about their fears, and their worries, and the challenges they would be facing.

Together, they were free of conventions. They were free of restraints. They were free of past mistakes. Together they could let go of everything that had held them back before. They were free to be themselves. They were free to be. They were perfectly free.

* * *

 **~FIN~**


End file.
